The Family Business
by Surflilu246
Summary: AU. It isn't Sora's fault she was born into this kind of family, but why must she be forced to marry someone else 50 years older than her? She know's it's to protect her family, but still, there goes any chance she had with her father's top hitman. Taiora
1. From New York

Taichi Yagami looked out his hotel window into the New York City night. The past months had been a blur to him. He was assigned to watch over this girl, a mere girl. What had he been reduced to? He was one of his boss's prime workers. He'd been loyal to him for years, and he was reduced to watching his boss's daughter as she toured the world. Of course, Taichi knew he had been assigned this job because he was one of the most trusted men in the business, but still, he'd rather be in action, making hits and keeping the other families in their place. The bigger question that lingered in his mind as he stared out into the New York skyline was how he had allowed himself to fall for his boss's daughter. His thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on his door. It was her. He anxiously went and opened it, wondering what she wanted now. However, when he saw her, he was stunned.

She looked beautiful. She wore a simple black shirt and clung to her curves and a pair of dark jeans. Her red hair was brushed and parted to the side, her bangs covering part of her left eye. Her lips were a bright red and her cheeks flushed when she noticed him staring.

Taichi quickly recovered. "What do you want Sora?" He asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. Their relationship hadn't gotten off to the best start, and it wasn't completely okay now, however, they were becoming friends, even if they argued a lot.

She huffed at him. Obviously she'd picked up the annoyed tone in his voice. "I want to see Central Park at night." She said in a demanding tone. "And don't think of saying no, Daddy said you need to take me wherever I want to go.

Taichi scowled as he put on his jacket. The last thing he wanted to do was wander around the streets of New York at night with the girl he was supposed to be protecting. However, he did as he was told and followed her out the door. They didn't exchange words as they walked to the limo. Taichi wondered how he allowed himself to fall for such a princess, but he quickly reminded himself how she had learned growing up that the only way to get what she wanted in her life was to be strict about it. It wasn't easy growing up in her family, especially with her business-headed father, so he felt a little sympathy. At least Sora had her mother and brothers. Her mother had to have been one of the kindest women he'd known. It was her who picked him up off the streets when he needed a job. Of course, it wasn't the kind of job he was expecting, but he'd grown to love it. Her two twin brothers were characters themselves, always getting into trouble, but they were the apples of their mothers eye.

When the two arrived at Central park, the look on Sora's face made Taichi smile. She looked astonished. The smile that spread across her face said everything.

"Taichi, isn't it beautiful? Look, look at the pond!" She pointed as she burst out of the limo towards it.

"Sora, wait!" He called after her, struggling to keep up. He wasn't supposed to let her out of his sight, not even for a second. But Christ, did she look good when she ran. He let her have her moment before he caught up to her. She calmed down again once she remembered she was under Taichi's watchful eye. She didn't want her father to know she'd acted so childish. She was almost 20, certainly an adult in her and her father's view.

Taichi accompanied Sora as she finished looking around the park. Sora was unpredictable when he was around. Sometimes, she enjoyed talking to him about everything, but other times, she completely shut him out. Maybe it was just because he was around all the time. Luckily, tonight was one of the good nights. When Taichi wasn't moving fast enough, she grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him along behind her, chattering the entire way about what she would want to see tomorrow. Tomorrow? Taichi sighed. He was getting to old for this. He was about 25 now and he wasn't sure he could keep up with her much longer, but he'd do anything to be near her.

To his dismay, though, the evening quickly ended and they found themselves back in the limo. Sora sat on the other side of the seat, looking out the window.

"Sora.." Taichi began, only to receive a frustrated 'What?' in response. Her moods changed so quickly.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Didn't you have fun?"

Sora looked back out the window again, making sure she wasn't going to say something she regretted. "Yes, of course I had fun, thank you for taking me." However, her heart screamed out for her to tell the truth. She needed to, and she had the perfect idea.

When they arrived at their rooms, Sora asked if she could leave the door that went between their rooms open. He quickly agreed when she said the reason was that she wasn't feeling well. He heard her shower go on and as much as he tried not to, he imagined her in it. He imagined both of them in it and how great it would be. He needed her, needed to touch her and be with her. Of course, though, she didn't feel the same way. It was impossible. He turned on the TV when the shower stopped, expecting to fall asleep to its soft sound once Sora was safely in bed. However, that did not go as planned. He quickly fumbled to turn the television off when he saw what was standing in the doorway.

Sora appeared before him with her hair wet and only in her towel.

"S..Sora.." He stammered, "What are you doing?"

She gulped as she built up the courage to say what she had wanted to say for the past 6 months they'd been traveling together. "I was hoping you'd like to join me tonight."

Taichi stood up from the bed, eyes wide, trying not to look over her beautiful silken body. Oh how badly he'd wanted to say yes, how badly he'd wanted to love her and cherish her, but it was impossible. He couldn't be with her. It'd be too dangerous. If any of the enemy families discovered that Taichi and Sora were involved with each other, she'd become a prime target. And if getting into that situation didn't get Taichi killed by enemies, surely her father would order a hit on him. His stomach dropped as he began to say what needed to be said.

"Sora.. no, I'm sorry.. but, I.. I don't feel that way.." He shut his eyes tight once it was said, not wanting to see the hurt reaction on the girl's face, and also, not wanting her to see that he was completely lying. All he heard before he opened his eyes were muffled sobs and a slamming door. He quietly laid himself in his bed and tried to fall asleep. After what seemed like hours of tossing and turning, he finally drifted off, dreaming of Sora, and what it would be like if fate allowed them to be together.

X

Taichi awoke the next morning to the ringing of his cell phone. He groggily felt for it on his bedside table. He only opened his eyes once he'd picked it up to see who was calling at such an outrageous hour. Taichi grunted to himself when he saw who it was. Yamato. Taichi and Yamato were best friends. They'd grown up together and entered the business together, but when he called, it meant there was trouble.

"Hello?" Taichi yawned.

"Wake up man, we've got trouble." A worried voice said back.

"What? What trouble?" Taichi sat up and began walking towards his dresser.

"Someone ordered a hit on the boss's wife. He wants Sora home now."

"What?" Taichi barely got out. "Who? Is she alive?"

Yamato sighed heavily. "We're not sure who. It's someone local though. And she's alive, but barely. They're not expecting her to make it another 24 hours. You need to get Sora home now. A flight's been booked for you in about three hours. Get your stuff and leave."

"Will do." Taichi said as he hung up. He pondered how he was supposed to tell Sora this news. He decided it would be best if he waited till they got back to Japan. Her father could tell her. Besides, Sora probably wouldn't want to speak to him anyways.

He took a deep breath and tried to put on a content face. He couldn't let the grief he was feeling show, Sora was too smart for that. He gently knocked on her door and brightly said good morning, trying to keep it together for the girl, but for his job. He wasn't paid to crumble down, even if the woman who was now dying has practically saved his sorry life.

He heard Sora wake up and brightly chirp a good morning back. However, her tone changed once she remembered the events that happened the night before. She said she was getting up and nothing else.

"You need to pack," Taichi continued. "We're going home."

With that, Sora stomped over and opened the door. "What do you mean we're going home?"

"You're father called." Taichi stated. "He wants you back in Japan."

Sora rolled her eyes. "Are you serious? I'm just starting to have fun and he pulls me home again?"

"Maybe it's time you went home to visit. It's been six months. We can travel again soon."

"Wait till my mother hears about this." The girl complained as she started throwing clothes into an empty suitcase.

Taichi went back into his own room to pack and prepare for a painfully awkward flight.

X

Mr. Takenouchi paced around in his office waiting for the safe return of his daughter. If anything happened to their flight he'd make sure to make the person responsible suffer. He tried over and over again to figure out who was responsible for the hit on his wife, but he couldn't. His mind was too clogged with emotion and he was thinking irrationally. He had to call in his computer expert, Koushiro, to figure out which families were where and what they were doing. However, not even Koushiro could figure it out. He has spent hours in front of a blaring monitor and it appeared that all the families were clean.

'How could that be possible?' Mr. Takenouchi thought as he paced back and forth, back and forth. He needed someone to blame for his wife's inevitable death. Maybe he just wasn't looking hard enough. It was with that final thought that he heard a knock at the door. Mr. Takenouchi dashed to open it, hoping it was his daughter. However, it wasn't. Who he saw standing before him was the leader of another business in Japan.

"Well, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Mr. Takenouchi asked as he greeted the man before him.

"Ah, I hear it's not a pleasure. Word on the street is your wife is dying. My deepest condolences, sir."

"Thank you, thank you. Please, come in." Mr. Takenouchi ushered the man in. He sat in a large chair in front of his desk. The man wore a black suit with matching shoes. His light brown hair was long and pulled into a low ponytail. His sideburns were short, but noticeable, and he had obvious wrinkles on his face, showing his age. He must've been at least 50 by now. Mr. Takenouchi was around 65 himself.

"I came here today because I might have some information that can help you." The man said.

"Do you, Mr. Waikashi?" Mr. Takenouchi's eyes brightened up as he realized he might come closer to exacting his revenge.

"Please, sir, call me Jirou. I feel like we've known each other long enough now for you to call me by my first name, right Hideki?"

"You can still refer to me as Mr. Takenouchi, Jirou." The man said, not losing his edge. Even in his 65 years of life, he hadn't softened a bit.

"My apologies sir. But listen, I have a preposition for you. You know that I'm one of the most well armed businesses in Japan do you not?" Mr. Takenouchi only nodded. Jirou continued. "Well then, word on the street is that whoever attacked your wife is going to come after your boys next."

"My boys? Not Kyo and Kiyoshi!" Mr. Takenouchi stood from his chair and began pacing again. "What is your preposition?"

"I can provide my services to you, make sure your boys are protected." Jirou eyed a portrait on the wall, trying to hide the arousal he felt when he saw it. Mr. Takenouchi turned around to see what he was looking at, and turned wide-eyed once he figured out what Jirou wanted in return. Favors like that didn't go unpaid.

"And, you want my daughter?" Mr. Takenouchi asked, bewildered.

"Just to make sure your boys stay safe, sir." Jirou grinned. "She's become quite beautiful hasn't she?"

Mr. Takenouchi scowled. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to give you my daughter for anything."

"Even to protect your boys? They're so young, only twelve. They haven't even lived. Who's going to take over your business if they end up in the same state as your wife?"

Mr. Takenouchi's face became solemn. He knew Jirou had a point, and Jirou did have a lot to offer. "I'll have to talk to my daughter about it first. Listen to me when I am saying I am NOT promising anything."

"Of course, of course." Jirou smirked. "Just remember, if anything happened to your boys, you'd be devastated wouldn't you? I'm sure Sora would do anything to save her brothers. Good day, sir."

And with that, Jirou left Mr. Takenouchi's office. The man sure had a lot to think about.. His sons could die, and as far as he knew, Sora wasn't being threatened. He supposed he really did need to talk to Sora after she saw her mother.

Yamato, one of Mr. Takenouchi's most trusted workers quickly walked in after Jirou left. "What was that about?"

"It was nothing." Mr. Takenouchi replied, not really wanting to talk about it. "Just business."

"Alright.." Yamato said, not really believing him. "But I wouldn't trust him if I was you. He's sketchy."

"I know." Mr. Takenouchi look out the window as a limo pulled up to his drive. "But he can offer a lot of protection. Taichi and my daughter have just arrived. Will you see to it that they arrive up here quickly?"

"Of course." Yamato promised as he left the room.

X

A couple minutes later, Mr. Takenouchi's daughter was wrapped tightly in his arms. "I'm so glad you're home darling!"

"Me too, Dad, but why did I have to come home so abruptly?" Sora questioned him.

Her father motioned for Yamato and Taichi to leave the room as he began to tell Sora what happened. Unfortunately, they hadn't made it home in time to see her mother before she died, and Sora was left with a distant memory. She began to sob uncontrollably out of grief and anger. Why hadn't anyone told her sooner? Why hadn't Taichi?

"Listen, Sora, there's something else I need to tell you." Mr. Takenouchi swallowed hard, not sure how his daughter would take the news.

"What?" She said, trying to control her tears.

Seeing how upset his daughter was, he couldn't tell her now. "A friend of mine.. He wants to meet you.. I was hoping we could have a dinner tomorrow night, would you be alright with that? He can offer us a lot of protection."

"Sure.." Sora responded, a little confused as to why her father had chosen to bring that topic up now. "Listen, I just really want to go home.. I want to be with my brothers.."

"Alright.. Tell Taichi to drive you, and tell him to report back here when he's done."

"Alright." A knot formed in her stomach as he said his name, but it didn't matter now.

Sora walked out of his office lifelessly. The man deeply regretted what he had gotten himself into, but he realized now that the only way to protect his family was to have Sora agree to marry Jirou. Maybe he would be lucky and they would enjoy each other's company tomorrow. However, he still couldn't imagine his precious little girl in the hands of a 50 year old man. The problem was, he couldn't imagine his sons dead, either.

X

**Alright, hope you liked the first chapter! I keep starting new stories before updating the old ones, but I find it a lot easier to start a new idea. So, hopefully you guys liked it! Let me know what you think!**

**surflilu.**

HH


	2. She's Not a Kid

When the car pulled up, Taichi knew it was him. Only a difficult man would show up late to such an important dinner party. Uneasily, he went and opened the door for the man as he had been instructed to do. Yamato gave him an annoyed look, as if he could read his friends mind. As the old man climbed out of the car, he didn't bother to give Taichi a thank you. He left the door open for Taichi to close and walked into the house.

After he had gone in, Yamato walked over to his friend. "I know, I don't trust him either. I just wish the boss would see through whatever he's playing.."

"Did you hear Takenouchi's trying to get Sora to marry him?" Taichi looked at the ground, ignoring what Yamato said.

"I did.." Yamato whispered.

"We can protect the boys. Why does he need Jirou? What about Sora?"

Yamato looked him straight in the eye. "Taichi, don't do this."

"Do what?" Taichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't play dumb with me." Yamato said bluntly. "I know you. Don't put yourself into that kind of situation. It's bad for the business. Bad for you."

"Sure." Taichi replied. "Listen, I'm gonna watch the back entrance. You watch the front. If anything sketchy comes around, you know how to reach me."

"Alright.." Yamato mumbled. He hoped he had gotten through to his friend, his best friend. Taichi couldn't hide anything from him, Yamato knew him too well. But really, the consequences would be terrible if Taichi became strange with this whole.. situation.

X

Inside, Mr. Takenouchi greeted Jirou enthusiastically. Tonight was the night to make a fabulous impression. The boys were neatly dressed and stood waiting in the entrance. Kiyoshi smiled at the man while Kyo just looked at his feet.

After exchanging hellos and making sure Jirou was as comfortable as possible, Mr. Takenouchi called down for his daughter.

"I'm sorry she's not ready on time," Mr. Takenouchi apologized. "The child went to visit her mother today."

"Oh no, of course, that's understandable. She has every right to be late then." Jirou said reassuringly. However, Mr. Takenouchi couldn't help but hear a small bit of annoyance in his voice.

When Sora came down the stairs, Jirou instantly walked up to her and introduced himself. "My goodness, you've gotten tall. Last time I saw you you were just a little girl. Now you're a full grown woman, would you look at that?"

Sora blushed slightly as he looked her over. She muttered something about being happy to see him again as well, although she couldn't remember him at all. When she walked over towards her father, she felt his eyes on her back, and she couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous. She was really regretting wearing the outfit her father had chosen for her. It was a short golden dress along with black heals and matching jewelry. When she first put it on, she thought she looked pretty, but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed now. Why was she feeling so strangely?

At once, all the visitors met with the Takenouchi's at the table. A toast was made to the wife, who unfortunately, couldn't be there. A toast was made to the safety of the two young boys, and last but not least, to a bright and happy future for Sora. They all sat, and dinner was served.

Sora looked around at all the guests. There were many men there, who she assumed were involved with her father one way or another. There were few women. Those who were there were loyal wives. No children were in attendance besides Sora and her brothers. The girl had to admit, she felt quite awkward. Her father sat on one side of her, and the strange man named Jirou on the other. Her brothers were on the other side of the table. How she would have loved to hear one of their jokes right now. Anything would have been better than having to listen to Jirou drone on about his selfish business investments.

"What was the purpose of this party again, Dad?" Sora asked her father, making sure no one around her had heard.

He hesitated before answering. "Er, to just get everyone acquainted with each other.. you know, really, to make sure they weren't involved with the accident of-er.."

"I get it Dad." Sora cut him off, relieving him of the heavy task of speaking about her mother.

"Good." Mr. Takenouchi gave his daughter a weak smile. "Listen, I have to go speak with the chef. Do me a favor and keep Jirou entertained, will you?"

"Yeah.. sure Dad." Sora anxiously turned her head, not expecting to meet Jirou's wrinkled eyes. "Oh!" She said, a bit shocked.

"What is it, darling?" Jirou asked casually.

Darling? Had he really just called her darling? "Nothing, sorry. You just startled me." Sora picked up her fork and began eating. Obviously, it was a futile attempt to get Jirou to stop bothering her.

"I didn't mean to startle you. Is it my looks? Usually, pretty girls aren't scared of me." Jirou replied, placing his hand on the girl's knee. It was as smooth as silk under his rough skin. He gently swirled his fingers around, making sure he looked straight into her eyes.

Sora dropped her fork and quickly excused herself from the table. "Dad? Dad? Where are you?"

"What's wrong dear?" Mr. Takenouchi asked as he dashed out of the kitchen. "Are you alright?"

"Dad, the man sitting next to me, who is he? What the hell is going on?"

The man sighed. "Sora, watch your language."

"Why do you not care? What are you not telling me?" Sora said suddenly, making sure her looked pierced straight into her father's eyes. She'd had enough of him over the years. As much as she loved him, his lifestyle had ruined her own so many times. He lied endlessly, and she was done.

Mr. Takenouchi sighed again. "Come in the kitchen. I think we need to talk."

X

Outside, Yamato was getting bored. He let his hand fall inside his pocket, in which he let his gun safely rest. Not as if he'd need it tonight though, nothing was going on. He walked around the back of the house to find Taichi. Of course, he was staring in a window.

"Shit Taichi, will you stop messing around?"

"Yamato! You scared the crap out of me. I'm not messing around. Look, I think the boss is finally telling Sora his 'master plan'." Taichi pointed inside the window.

"Oh really?" Yamato quickly let his guard down and walked over to where Taichi was standing. He looked inside as well. "Damn. Look at her.. she can't marry him. She's only a kid."

"She's not a kid." Taichi retorted. However, he soon regretted his words.

"What do you mean by that?" the blonde inquired.

"I mean.. look, look how quickly she's grown up…" Taichi trailed off as he saw the girl drown in tears. His heart broke for her as he watched her collapse against the kitchen wall. "How can Takenouchi do this to his own daughter?"

"I don't know, man." Yamato agreed. "Guess he likes his sons more."

"That's bullshit."

Yamato didn't reply. He turned around and took a few steps towards the backyard, unwilling to watch anymore of the unfolding scene. Taichi, however, stayed glued to the window. He kept watching. He saw Sora slide against the wall onto the ground. He saw her bury her head as her father left. He had to use all his willpower to keep him from running in there and stealing her away. She deserved so much better than this. She deserved.. she deserved to say no!

"Yamato, can you handle playing look-out by yourself for a second?"

"Uh.. I guess.. but Taichi, tell me you're not going in th- you are." Yamato said as he watched Taichi walk in the kitchen door. He couldn't bear to watch his friend turn into a sap. More importantly, he couldn't bear to watch his friend lose his job. He flipped his gun around in his pocket. Christ, it was a cold night.

X

Sora heard the kitchen door creak open. She quickly got to her feet. However, she was happy to see Taichi standing in the doorway. Well, happier then she would have been if an attacker had walked in. She put on an indifferent face as she wiped away her tears.

"What do you want?"

Taichi gulped. "I-I just wanted to see how you were doing with this whole.. situation.."

"You knew?!" the girl cried, causing Taichi to jump back.

"I'm sorry Sora." He repeated over a few times. "You know if I told it would have cost me my head."

Sora looked out the window and caught a glimpse of Yamato's blonde hair. "Were you watching me?"

"No! No, no, no. Listen, Sora," He began, "I don't have much time, but you have the right to say no. You can say no to this marriage. You don't have to go through with it. You're going to be miserable!"

"How do you know I'm going to be miserable?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Taichi threw his hands out to the sides. "Because you won't be with-"

"Be with who?" Sora interrupted.

Taichi turned bright red. He could tell her he loved her right now. They could run away together, they could do everything. They could also get caught. They could both be killed. Sora was too innocent. It tore him apart as he lied to her, but the truth just couldn't be said. "You won't… you won't be with someone you really love.."

"Oh.." Sora averted her gaze. Her heart fell into her stomach. She was so stupid to think, even for a second, that he actually loved her. "Well.. I guess it doesn't matter now.. I have to do it anyways.."

"What are you talking about!" Taichi exclaimed. "You don't have to do anything!"

"I do though.." Sora continued as tears began to once again well up in her eyes. "I need to do it for my brothers.. They need to be protected. They can't end up like my mother."

"Sora…"

"It's fine Taichi. Just please, leave. My father will kill you if he catches you in here. Please go." Sora turned and walked out of the kitchen. Taichi was left standing there. He was certain he had just lost the love of his life.

X

Jirou caught Sora as she tried to walk up the stairs. "Beautiful, where have you been all night? And my, have you been crying?"

"The chef was cutting onions in the kitchen." She blatantly replied as she continued on her way to her room. He couldn't help but smirk at the pain he was causing her.

"I'm sorry for her behavior." Mr. Takenouchi stepped in.

"Don't apologize at all." Jirou replied. "She's bold. All the better.."

A lump formed in Takenouchi's throat. "P-pardon?"

"Nevermind." Jirou quickly covered himself up. "Listen here, though. I want that girl within a week. By next Saturday, we are to be married, are we clear?"

"A week?!" Mr. Takenouchi cried. "That will never be enough time!"

Jirou smirked. "Do you want protection for your boys?"

Mr. Takenouchi stuttered. He had been cornered, defeated. He had no other option. "Yes.. I do."

"Then make time. I don't care if she's willing or not, but within a week, she will be bound to me." And with that, Jirou put on his jacket and left.

Mr. Takenouchi stood there, in his empty foyer, in his empty house. All was silent except for the distant sounds of snoring boys and a crying girl. He furrowed his brow and put his head in his hands. By God, what had he done?

*surflilu.


	3. Nu Nightclub

Taichi Yagami sat in his home, fumbling around with a phone. He had debated calling his sister all day. He really needed someone to knock some sense into him, but he knew if he called her, she'd be extremely worried. He really didn't want to do that to her. But then again, after he'd been told about the events that happened at Mr. Takenouchi's dinner party, he couldn't keep his mind straight. He decided to dial her number. He had to admit, when she said hello in her reassuring voice, it made him feel a bit better.

"Hello Hikari." Taichi said, trying to keep his voice as normal as possible. However, Hikari could see straight through his cover up.

"Taichi? What are you doing calling at this hour, what's wrong?"

The man looked over at the clock. Was it really one in the morning? He supposed all hope was lost for assuring Hikari that he was okay. He might as well just tell her the truth, even though it would put his entire career on the line.

"Hikari, look, I need your help. You have to promise, on your life, that you will never tell anyone."

There was no pause before Hikari responded. "Of course I won't tell, what is it?"

Taichi drew in a breath of relief. He knew he could always count on his sister. She was younger than him, only eighteen, but she was so mature for her age. "It's about Sora."

"Oh dear." She said, "What's happened now?"

Hikari knew Sora. They'd met many times, and even formed a bit of a friendship. They were both friendly, so they naturally clicked.

"You see," Taichi began, "she's being forced to marry someone- to protect her brothers. I can't let her do it Hikari. The guy, he's horrible. Word on the street is that he even owns clubs."

"-And you've fallen for her, right?" Hikari interrupted.

"I would've liked to keep that detail out." Taichi said hastily. He didn't bother denying it. Hikari had caught him staring many times before.

"What detail?" Hikari replied, trying to sound clueless.

"Great." Taichi sighed. "Listen, the wedding, it's in two days. I can't sleep, I don't know what to do."

"You go to the wedding, you try to stop her. She knows deep down that you can protect her brothers. I think she knows deep down that she doesn't want to waste her life with this creep. She wants to be with you."

"Seriously, Hikari?" Taichi asked.

"Seriously." Hikari repeated. "Listen, if you're going to do this, you need some rest. Go to bed, alright? I'll stop by in a few days. Just whatever you do, don't get in trouble. More importantly, don't get Sora in trouble. I assume you were off the guest list, too, so don't be seen."

"Will do. Thank you Hikari."

"No problem, brother. Goodnight."

And with that, both Yagami's hung up the phone.

Taichi collapsed against the couch he was sitting on. He let his head hang back as he held the phone loosely with his fingers. There was definitely something about Jirou Waikashi that wasn't right. Taichi desperately searched his mind for a lead. He had to know something.. What could he do?

Finally, Taichi had an idea. Jirou was rumored to own a club downtown. Maybe he and Yamato should go check it out. Quickly, he picked the phone back up and dialed his friend.

X

Sora rose up off her bed when she heard a knock on her door.

"Go away!" She shouted through the door.

"But Sora!" One voice called back.

Another finished, "It's us!"

With that, Sora quickly went to her door and unlocked it, letting her little brothers in. Kyo and Kiyoshi walked in and plopped themselves down onto her bed.

"What is it?" Sora asked as she sat down in between them.

"Are you getting married for us?" Kyo asked, not hesitating a bit.

"What?" Sora muttered, not really sure what to say. She knew her brothers would be devastated if they knew she was only getting married to protect them. She figured it'd be best to lie. "No, no, not at all! I… I love Jirou. I'm marrying him for that.." The girl put a hand on her chest, half trying to point to her heart, half because she couldn't figure out how she'd managed to use Jirou and love in the same sentence.

"Do you promise?" Kiyoshi asked, placing his hand on Sora's , his eyes stayed on the white dress that hung neatly in the corner. The moonlight that came in from the window lit it up like a beautiful tragedy.

Sora looked him straight in the eyes- his innocent, young eyes. It was the only way, she knew it. "I promise."

X

"You sure this is the place?" Yamato asked as Taichi stopped his car in an alley. He looked across the street at an old stone building. It would have looked abandoned, except there was a giant neon sign hanging over the door that read "Nu".

"Yeah." Taichi said as he turned off the car. "This is it, and this is exactly where he'll be."

The two men stepped out of the car, making sure to rid themselves of anything that would make them look suspicious. After Taichi securely locked his car, he checked his hidden holster to make sure his gun was there- just in case. Yamato did the same, and they quickly walked across the street.

"I can't believe you're getting us into this." Yamato said right before they neared the entrance. "We could lose our heads!"

"Don't worry." Taichi smiled as he pushed the door open. "I've got everything under control."

When they walked in, their faces were instantly lit up with flashing lights. Strobe lights were pointed at different stages, yet the corners and private tables were kept dark. However, what caught their attention the most was what was on the stages. There were about six, and on each one, there was a girl dancing to beating music. Taichi laughed as Yamato pretended to cover his eyes. However, his amusement soon went away when he caught a glimpse of one girl. She looked young.. too young to be in a place like this. Her face held a look of faked excitement, but any man with common sense could see she was miserable, if not embarrassed, to be where she was.

"Yamato, look." Taichi said as he pointed towards the girl. "Look at the one with the pink hair, do you see how young she is?"

"God she can't be over 21." Yamato sighed. "I have an idea, maybe we can help her. You look for the owner, I'll go 'pay for a back room'." The blonde man made quotes with his fingers as he walked off towards her stage. Taichi turned around himself and walked towards the bar. By the time he got there, the music had stopped. Appareantly, it was time for the dancers to take their 15 minutes. Taichi looked back, Yamato was talking to the girl. He watched him take out his money and point to a closed door before turning around once again to talk to the bartender.

"What can I get for you babe?" The woman asked without looking up from the counter she was scrubbing.

"I want to talk to the manager." Taichi bluntly stated.

The woman looked up. She pushed a whisp of blonde hair away from her face. "Nobody's don't talk to the boss."

"I'm sorry miss, but it's business. I advise you go get your boss." Taichi said firmly. He wasn't going anywhere before seeing Jirou.

"Aye. Jesus, hold on." She said in a heavy accent before getting out from behind the counter. "Men."

Taichi watched her walk away. She wore a tiny outfit. The skirt barley covered anything, and the low cut top covered even less. Fish net stockings ran high up her legs, and her hair was obviously dyed to appear more platinum. The boy could only wonder if she was there by choice or not. It was always hard to determine in places like these. Maybe if Jirou's business wasn't legitimate, he could take him down. There was always the chance, too, that Jirou didn't even own the club. However, that doubt was pushed out of the boy's head when he saw who was walking over towards him. Oh, yeah, that was him. Taichi could recognize that smug face anywhere. Hopefully, though, Jirou wouldn't recognize _him._

X

Yamato followed the girl into one of the back rooms. It cost him a fortune just to get her back there. However, like she said, she was worth her price; for she instantly pounced on him.

"Wait!" Yamato hissed, trying not to be too loud.

"Mmm, what is it babe? What do you want?" The girl purred.

"I.. I just want to talk."

The girl quickly got off him and stumbled backwards a bit. "To talk? People don't pay me to talk."

"I'll pay you, I don't care." Yamato replied.

"Oh.. well.. I've never really been in this kind of situation before.." The girl took a step closer, yet she still seemed to be extremely cautious. "Are you su-"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm positive. I want to know what a young girl like you is doing in a dump like this." Yamato interrupted her.

"What? A dump? No. No, no, no. I live here. I get paid for this-"

"You live here?" Yamato interrupted yet again.

"..Yeah.." She quietly replied.

Yamato let the shocked expression on his face show. "You don't have a home?"

"This is my home." The girl said abruptly. "And I don't think I need to be talking about my life with someone I don't know. I don't even know your name."

"Well my names Yamato." He extended his hand. The girl didn't accept it. "What's yours?"

The pink haired girl looked down at his outstretched hand. If she shook it, maybe he would help her. But then, maybe her boss would catch her. He'd surely kill her, or worse. This man could just be tricking her too. Maybe he just got a sick sort of pleasure out of watching girls like her get beaten.

"Why should I trust you?" She asked, squinting her eyes inquisitively.

"Because I can help you."

The girl drew a large breath in. Yamato could have sworn he saw tears begin to form in her eyes; however, as quickly as they appeared, they went away. The girl reached out and grabbed his hand. No matter what risky situation she was getting herself into, it was better than living the rest of her life like this.

"My name's Mimi." She smiled slightly at him. "Can you please get me out of here."

Yamato finally took a second to look over her. She was in worse shape than he originally thought. She was extremely pale, probably because she hadn't been outside in awhile. She was also extremely skinny. She had bruises on her back that her boss obviously tried to cover, but hopelessly. Yamato gritted his teeth. He hated when he saw situations like this.

"Yeah," Yamato replied, trying to think of a plan. "Just give me a second.."

X

"So what can I help you with?" Jirou asked. Taichi was caught off guard by Jirou's skeptical look. Had he remembered him from the dinner party? Jirou didn't even bother to give him a glance, how could he?

Quickly, Taichi put his plan into action. "I'm from out of town, I hear you have good merchandise if you know what I mean."

"Of course I know what you mean." Jirou snapped. "But it's not my custom to help untrustworthy strangers."

"Mr. Waikashi," Taichi began, putting his drink on the table. "I can pay you a small fortune if you provide me with what I need. All I'm asking at the moment is to look."

Jirou eyed Taichi suspiciously. "Who gave you my address?"

The boy leaned back in his chair. "I saw a girl that used to work for you perform in Nakano. I was very impressed. I asked her where she got her training, and she said I could find you here."

"My girls would never give my location to strangers." Jirou replied firmly.

"Well this one did." Taichi said.

Jirou paused. "Well it doesn't matter now. Don't worry. I'll find her, and she will be punished."

Taichi coughed on a sip of his drink. "I don't think that will be necessary. I pushed her to tell me."

"Still…" Jirou looked off. "It doesn't matter at the moment. Show me some identification and I'll get my head man to show you some of my girls.."

X

Someone knocked on the heavy metal door, sending echoes throughout the tiny room. "Pink! Your client's time is up, get out here!"

Mimi froze like a deer in headlights. The color drained out of her face and tears welled in her eyes. "Yamato! Help me, I can't go back out there, please, please help me!"

"Shit shit shit.." Yamato looked around the tiny room, letting his eyes rest on a small window near the ceiling. "Mimi, quick, get on my shoulders."

"Are you crazy?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm just trying to help you, now get on!"

With once last glance towards the shaking door, Mimi climbed on top of Yamato's shoulders as he hoisted her up to the window.

"Alright," Yamato started once she got up there, "Climb out, go to the alley across the street. There's a car there, hide by it. I need to get my partner, then we'll get the hell out of here."

Mimi nodded as she jumped down. Yamato heard the patter of her running footsteps just as the door burst open.

"What is going on in here?!" A large man in a black suit cried. "Where is the girl?!"

"The bitch hopped out the window!" Yamato yelled angrily. "I heard her go behind the building, what kind of club are you running?!"

"Dammit!" The man muttered as he pulled out a gun. Without another word, he ran back out the door.

Taichi looked at Yamato. "How the hell are we going to get out of here?"

"The same way Mimi did." Yamato smirked as he pointed towards the window.

"Mimi?" Taichi asked as he hopped up to the ledge.

"The girl we're currently saving." Yamato replied as he hustled out himself.

However, the two boys barely got their feet on the ground before they heard men shouting to each other.

"Riku, look, she's in the alley!"

"Shit!" Yamato hissed as he ripped his gun out. "Taichi, come on!"

The two ran across the street towards the alley where they parked. When they got there, all they could see were three figures hidden in the shadows. One large man was holding the girl, while the other stood in front of them with his arm raised.

"This will teach you not to run away _ever_ again!" He growled as he lowered his hand hard across her face. Mimi moaned as she crashed to the ground. The other man grabbed a chunk of her hair and ripped her back up again.

"Let her go!" Yamato called, pointing his gun at one man's chest. "I'll shoot!"

"Woah, take it easy there kid." The other man said, letting go of Mimi and putting his hands in the air.

"Oh trust me, I'm not a kid." Yamato grunted as Mimi ran behind him. "Both of you, against the wall, now!"

The two men obeyed. Yamato kept his gun on them as Taichi helped Mimi in the car. When Taichi started it, Yamato quickly turned and got in before they sped away. However, before they got too far, one of their windows blew out.

"What the hell was that?!" Taichi shouted from the driver's seat as he swerved down another road.

"Mimi, get down!" Yamato told her as he crawled over towards the window. "Dammit! It was just those two idiots. They took a shot at our car, God Dammit!"

"Are they coming?" Mimi asked, trying to look out the window herself.

"No, no. We're far away from them." Yamato carefully raised his hand. When he saw the girl flinch, he told her he just wanted to see the wound that was appearing on her cheek. Mimi nodded and let him touch her. Yamato was surprised by the softness of her skin. It was warm where the bruise was forming, but everywhere else was cold. He looked at her eyes and noticed tears were forming in the corners. "Don't cry Mimi, you're safe now."

"What if they find me?" Mimi asked, letting a single tear fall down her reddening cheek.

"They won't." Yamato assured her. "I promise you that."

Mimi nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'll let you stay at my place if you want." Yamato continued. "Do you have family?"

Mimi just shook her head no and buried her face into his jacket. "I don't. I came here on a bus with nothing. Jirou, my boss, said he could give me a job and a place to stay. I just didn't think it'd be like that."

"Well it's okay now." Yamato pushed some pink strands out of her face. "You're safe with me. I won't let anything happen to you."

When Taichi finally pulled up to Yamato's house, the girl was in a deep sleep.

"Is she staying with you?" Taichi asked.

Yamato nodded as he lifted the girl into his arms and carried her inside. He heard Taichi drive off as he placed her on his bed. Yamato's house was small but comfortable; he just hoped Mimi would be happy there. The boy found an old shirt for Mimi to wear, and trying not to look, he changed her into it. It would've been very uncomfortable for her to sleep in the outfit she was in. After, Yamato pulled the covers up over the girl and shut the lights off. He'd be sleeping on the couch tonight.

X

On the ride home, a number of things were on Taichi's mind. How was he going to fix his car window without Mr. Takenouchi finding out? What in the world were they going to do with Mimi? But more importantly, what was going to happen with Sora? It turns out it was true, Jirou was a terrible man. He ran an illegitimate strip club and sold girls underground. All he could do was hope Jirou wouldn't hurt Sora- because if he did, Taichi would have to kill him.

*surflilu.


	4. Let Her Go

Hi there, before I begin this chapter, I just wanted to say thanks to **fireangel08 **and **digimonfan4ever101** for their lovely reviews . Now, onto the story!

X

Today was the day. If she was anyone else, today would have been the day when her life was actually supposed to begin. However, she was quite certain that today would be the day everything would end. Sora couldn't take her eyes off of her reflection in the mirror. Rather, she couldn't take her eyes off of the dress she was wearing. It was sleeveless and white. The bottom gently touched the ground and a short train ran behind it. The chest was covered in jewels, but the rest of the dress was plain. It was disgusting, mortifying, and hand-picked by her husband-to-be. It was perfect, he had told her, when he came to drop it off. Sora quickly agreed to please her brother's questioning eyes. However, she'd never be able to live with herself for also pleasing Jirou.

The girl lifted up the top layer of the dress. Underneath, there was a lacey layer that was probably there to make the dress fuller. Sora grabbed the bottom of it and brought it to her mouth. She ripped a chunk of the lace off with her teeth and let it fall to the ground.

"There." Sora said quietly to herself. "No longer perfect."

The girl looked back into the mirror. She tried to imagine Jirou standing next to her. It was what the scene would look like at the altar. However, she couldn't bring herself to picture the old, ugly man next to her young, innocent form. Instead, she pictured her brothers out of harm's way. She pictured her ignorant father happy that his heirs were safe and that his daughter had so willingly gone along with his plan. Finally, she pictured Taichi next to her. She pictured him in an elegant black tuxedo. Everything was perfect about him, well, except his hair. No wait, that was the most perfect part. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine his lips on hers. She knew for sure that imagining their first kiss together would be as close as it would ever get to reality. Who was she kidding though? She needed to stop dreaming. Taichi would never love her. This was her reality now. She quickly got undressed and packed the dress up again. They would all be leaving for the church soon. She'd get changed there. She wanted to be in the dress for as little time as possible.

X

Yamato put his foot on the brake when he was about a mile away from the church.

"Are you ready for this?" He glanced over at his best friend sitting in the passenger seat.

Taichi nodded his head, never moving his eyes from the window. The second Jirou's car passed, they were going to follow him to the church, and finally, once he was inside, the actual waiting would begin.

"Yamato, that's it!" Taichi exclaimed as a large black limo drove by. The blonde man quickly turned back out onto the road and followed it, making sure to stay a safe distance away. He waited around the corner until he heard the slam of car doors and the footsteps going up the large stone steps. Yamato slowly pulled into the parking lot. If he made any suspicious sounds, their cover would be blown. He turned off the car, and as quietly as possible, the two men got out, being careful not to slam their doors.

They ran behind to the back of the building and began to wait. It seemed like an eternity before Mr. Takenouchi pulled up in his own black limo. Taichi peered out from behind the wall. The old man, Sora, and two little boys got out. Taichi grew puzzled when he noticed that no guards were with them. He became even more confused when he saw two of Jirou's own men hustle out of the church and escort them inside.

"Boss really didn't bring any of his own men?" Taichi asked with an angry tone. "Why is he being so stupid?!"

"I don't know.." Yamato replied, staying close to the wall. "But come on, you need to focus. Sora will be in there any minute. Once the guests start to arrive, you know what to do."

"Right." Taichi nodded his head. "Once all the guests come there will be so many distractions. Jirou would never notice me sneaking in there. You got my back, right?"

"Of course." Yamato said, patting his hand against his hidden gun. "Look, here comes a car now."

Taichi peered out from behind the wall once again. He didn't recognize the car. However, the people who stepped out had the same crooked nose that Jirou did. He figured they were his family. Jirou having family was unimaginable to Taichi, but nevertheless, they'd probably been invited just so Jirou could gain bragging rights.

As more cars began to arrive, Taichi decided it was time to put his plan into action.

"Alright Yamato, I'm going in. She'll be in the back room, right?"

"Should be." Yamato replied, taking his place against the wall. "Be out in fifteen, alright? I don't want to have to come in there after you."

"Don't worry." Taichi said as he hustled towards the back door. "I'll be out."

Once he reached it, he gently pushed it open. The loud creek that sounded through the dimly lit hall sent shivers down his spine. Once he saw that no one had heard him, however, he went inside. He took his gun from his pants pocket and held it close to his side as he moved along. He tiptoed, looking around each corner before he turned. This old church was more like a maze than a normal building. He pressed his ear up to each door he passed, but when he heard nothing inside, he moved on. Finally, though, he heard movement behind one of the large wooden doors. He gently pushed it open and looked inside. However, he didn't find who he expected to.

In the room stood three guards. They each wore black tuxedos and shiny black shoes. The only reason Taichi could tell they were guards was because each of them had their own gun. When they all looked up at him, the man froze.

"Who the hell are you?" One of them asked, walking over towards him.

"I'm… I'm a guest of the wedding." Taichi thought up quickly. "But, I guess this isn't the bathroom.."

"Yeah?" Another guard asked, pointing his gun square at Taichi's face. "Then why do you have a weapon?"

Taichi looked down at his hand. 'Dammit!' He thought over and over again. He could've killed himself for not putting his gun away. The man knew he could have easily taken out all three of the guards, but the commotion would have just caused more men to show up. He couldn't be seen. Taichi decided it was best to run. He turned around and ran back out into the hall. He heard the men running after him. Taichi turned corner, after corner, after corner, but he could hear the footsteps getting louder.

"This way!" He heard one of the men call once Taichi tried to fool them with a faked turn. The man ran faster. He could feel them gaining on him. He reached a dead end and started to panic, but thankfully, to the right of him, there was a door with light shining out from underneath. He quickly pushed the door open and ran inside, turning around to shut the door once he got in. He pressed his face up against it to hear what the men said outside.

"Where'd he go?"

"In the door?"

"No! Don't go in there, Jirou will kill us. He's gone."

Taichi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard them all walk away. That was truly a close one.

"Taichi?"

The man spun around. "Sora!"

"What are you doing here?" She asked suspiciously. "Dad didn't send you to make sure I stayed here, did he?"

"No, not at all! No, Sora, no!" Taichi briskly walked towards her. "Please, you just have to listen to me." However, Taichi turned bright red once he realized Sora had been in the middle of changing. All she had on was a short silken skirt and a white strapless bra.

Sora turned around, becoming red herself. What else could she do then be mad at him? He'd gotten her hopes up so many times.. in New York, in the kitchen, now what? She loved him, but she could only cover it up with anger.

"Sora.. please.."

Sora was taken aback by the desperateness in his voice. It killed her, how miserable he sounded, but what could he possibly tell her now? Her life was about to be ruined. "What?" She asked abruptly, turning around while trying to cover herself up.

"Sora, you can't do this. I won't let you do this." Taichi paused and looked around the room. Her wedding dress hung gently from the closet door. On a large king size bed were bright white shoes and gloves. On the dresser, there was makeup and numerous hair accessories. The only window in the room was a small one near the ceiling. A single lamp provided the light.

"Looks like I don't have a choice anymore, Taichi." Sora retorted.

"Sora, you do! Listen, Yamato's outside, just come with us. You'll be safe with us. We can all get out of Japan and away from this mess."

Sora squinted her eyes. "And what about my brothers? What about my father?"

Taichi took another step towards her. "We can come back for your brothers, and your father.. he's the one who completely sold you out! Sora, please!"

Sora held her arms tighter against her chest as Taichi moved closer. "And what are we to do once we're out of Japan?"

"Well.." Taichi stammered, "I just thought.. you know.. Sora.."

"What?" Sora questioned again.

"Sora… I… I lov-"

"Shh!" Sora jumped at Taichi and clamped her hand over his mouth. "Don't say anything! Listen!"

Taichi cocked his head towards the door as he tried to listen to the voices in the hall.

_"What do you mean there's an intruder in her dressing room?!"_

_"We tried to stop him boss!"_

_"Trying isn't good enough!"_

The voices were covered up by a gunshot that rang throughout the halls. Sora threw herself off of Taichi with a combination of fear and shock.

"Taichi, it's Jirou! You have to get out of here! He's ruthless!"

The man looked around the room. "How am I supposed to get out? The only way to leave is the door!"

"Quick, in here!" Sora said hastily as she pushed him towards the closet. "Don't make a sound!"

Taichi was shoved inside the dark closet just as the door to the room was thrown open.

"Sora!" Jirou shouted angrily. "What's going on in here!"

"What are you talking about?" She said, trying to sound clueless.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" The old man pounded towards her with a closed fist. However, he stopped himself once he got a good look at her. "Come on now, tell me. You wouldn't want a perfect body like that to be bruised, now would you?"

Sora backed up in a hurry. She couldn't believe how quickly he'd lost his train of thought just by looking at her. Her face turned bright crimson as his face grew hungry and evil. His smirk was vicious, and his eyes were demanding. She glanced over at the closet, hoping Taichi couldn't see the scene in front of them. Before she could do anything else, Jirou reached out and placed his two hands on her backside, pulling her close to him. He effortlessly threw her over his shoulders and walked over towards the bed. Sora kicked and thrashed at him, but it was to no avail. Jirou tossed her down on the bed and began kissing her on her lips, on her neck, and all the way down to her bare, muscular stomach. He only stopped when he heard a gun cock behind him.

"Get the HELL off of her!"

Jirou grabbed Sora by the hair and jumped up. "Are you really gonna shoot me, little boy? You wouldn't want to miss, would you?" He pulled Sora in front of him and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Don't you dare kiss her!" Taichi stood with his hand shaking. Jirou was right, if he shot, he would definitely miss. Now how was he going to fix this?

"Wait a minute!" Jirou exclaimed. "You're the bastard who visited my club! You stole one of my girls!" Sora looked up at Jirou when she heard the word club. "Did you come here to steal my new girl, too?" Jirou continued.

"Come on," Taichi said, "You wouldn't use a girl like that in your dingy club, would you?" Perhaps he could play this role and figure a way out of the situation.

"Of course not!" Jirou sneered, running his hand up Sora's side. "I've got special plans for this one. Now.." Jirou reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun of his own. "It's time for you to be taken care of."

Sora squirmed in Jirou's arms as she struggled to get free. "Taichi!" She called right before Jirou moved his hand from her hair to her mouth.

"Shut up!" He barked as he aimed his gun. "Three.. two… one.."

X

So, I hope you all liked the new chapter! I've already started the next one, so hopefully that'll be up soon. But until then, you all can hate me for this horrible cliff hanger.

*surflilu


	5. Don't Hurt Us

Taichi stood facing inevitable death. He breathed heavy, trying to keep his thoughts straight while staring into the barrel of Jirou's black gun. He couldn't bare to look at the girl caught in his arms; she squirmed and screamed into the palm of the man's sweaty hand, begging for him to spare Taichi's life. The man took a step back and braced himself as Jirou began counting down.

"Three.. two… one"

Taichi gritted his teeth, and prepared himself for what was to come. However, instead of the sound of a gunshot, he heard the sound of a girls scream, followed by that of a door being thrust open.

"Taichi!"

The brown haired man looked up. He swallowed the gigantic lump that had formed in his throat and slapped his hand across his panting chest. "Yamato!"

"Get out! Get out!" Yamato called to Taichi over the noise of shouting men and footsteps banging angrily against the hallway floor as they ran to help their boss. He kept his gun pointed as Jirou as he motioned for Taichi to leave.

However, Taichi remained motionless as he stared at the girl with fear across her face. "But Yamato! Sora!"

The footsteps were getting louder now. Yamato looked behind him into the hall before running into the room and grabbing Taichi by the collar. "We'll come back for her!" He kept his gun carefully pointed at Jirou as he started to back out.

Taichi locked eyes with the girl as he was dragged from the room. He saw in her eyes that she wanted him to leave. He tried to look strong for her. She had to believe that they would be back, because they would be. There was no doubt in the boy's mind that they would save her. As Yamato got Taichi to his feet, he shut the door behind him, and thus, sealed the girl into a life none of them wanted to see her stuck in. Taichi gritted his teeth as Yamato helped him to the back door. Footsteps were following them, and they needed to get out. However, Taichi could care less about what would happen to him. He hated himself for leaving the girl he loved. As they dashed out the back door and over towards their car, Taichi stopped and took one look back at the church. He contemplated going back in, but was disrupted by men throwing the back door open. They fired at the two men as Yamato shouted for Taichi to get in the car. Taichi ran, but not quick enough. A hitman in a black suit and sunglasses ran over and grabbed Taichi by the arm. Thinking quickly, the man turned around and punched him square in the face, cracking his nose and shattering his sunglasses into a million pieces. More men started to gather around Taichi. He clenched his fists and took each man as he came. One of Jirou's workers pulled out a gun, but Taichi grabbed his wrist and twisted it to the side. He held him in an open position and kicked him in the chest, sending him flailing onto the ground. Quickly, Taichi turned and punched another man in the stomach before he got the chance to strike Taichi from behind. He too, went stumbling backwards as blood flew out of his mouth. Yamato started the car and sped over to where Taichi was encircled. He flung the passenger-side door open and shouted for the man to get in. Taichi obeyed. He threw a final punch at a hitman before jumping in the car. He barely had the chance to close the door before Yamato sped from the church parking lot.

"Dammit Taichi! Why'd you stop?!" Yamato shouted at him as soon as it was clear no one was following them. "I told you to come out in fifteen minutes!"

"Just drive Yamato!" Taichi cried. He couldn't push the images of Sora from his mind. He couldn't avoid her face. He couldn't stop thinking about how she looked as he decided to leave her behind. He raised his bloody fist and punched it into the dashboard. "Dammit Yamato!" He shouted through tears that were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. "How could we leave her?!"

"Taichi." Yamato took his eyes off the road to look at his broken friend. "I promise you. We will go back. We _will_ save her from that bastard. We will not abandon her."

X

Sora cried as she sat in her room. It seemed like only minutes had passed since Taichi had come to try to rescue her, yet it also seemed as if she'd dreamt it all up. Had he really been here? Was she really here? Had he really almost said what she thought he was going to say? No, he couldn't have been planning to say that. She lifted up the bottom of her dress and saw the tear on the underside. Her chest dropped as she realized this was really happening. She walked over to the dresser and picked up the torn piece. She ran it through her fingers. For some reason, it gave her comfort.

Sora looked up as the door to her room opened. A guard stood there, beckoning her out of the room. She supposed it was time. All she would allow herself to think of as she walked from the room were her brothers, safe and happy. She knew she had to be happy for them. Sora couldn't let them worry, but most importantly, she could never let them find out she was only doing this for them. As she walked down the hall, she struggled to put a happy look on her face. She just hoped Jirou wouldn't think she'd had a change of heart.

The guard stopped in front of a large wooden door. He motioned for her to stop too. Sora guessed that on the other side of the door was the aisle, her family, and the man she hated. There were no bridesmaids walking before her, no grooms, for Jirou probably had no loved ones; she was completely and utterly alone. The door swung open, and the girl faced what she'd expected. The aisle was long and dark. The pews were nearly empty, give or take a few of Sora's relatives and members of her father's work force. Sora held tight onto her flowers. Between the stems and her palm though, rested the torn piece of gown. She clutched it as hard as she could, making sure to remind herself with every step that no matter what Jirou thought, his life with her would never be perfect. She would never give into him.

As Sora got closer to the altar, it seemed as if Jirou was still a bit scattered. His hair was messy, and his outfit was wrinkled. However, he still flashed her the same ugly grin. With each step she took, she empowered him. He thought he was conquering her. He was happy with what he had won. Sora evaded his gaze as she stepped up onto the altar. She walked and stood next to him, and under the watchful eyes of her brothers, smiled.

X

Yamato threw open the door to the apartment and tossed his jacket on the ground.

"Fuck!" He shouted as he pounded his fist against the wall.

A feminine figure, wearing a dark blue bath robe, came out from the other room. "I'm guessing you couldn't rescue her.."

"Fuck…" He repeated, moving his hand across his forehead. "She's still with him. Do you know how hard it was playing it cool for Taichi?"

"I know, I know. Don't worry. From what you've told me, I think she's a strong girl. She can handle whatever's going on until you can reach her." Mimi put on a small smile, hoping Yamato would buy her words of reassurance.

"You're right. She can handle herself.. And if Jirou did anything to hurt her, all the boss's men would be on him in a second.." Yamato continued reassuring himself, lightening his mood as he spoke on. "She'll be fine until Taichi and I can think of a plan. Thanks Mimi." The man cocked his head towards her and smiled. He watched her push a long strand of brown hair from her face as she blushed and smiled back.

"Come here." She said lightly, beckoning him forward with two of her long, slender fingers.

"What?" Yamato asked as he stepped forward. He didn't receive an answer before Mimi put her arms around his tired body. She held him close and rested her head on his heaving shoulder. Yamato fumbled for a second, trying to get his arms to work properly. He placed his hands lightly on the small of her back, not really sure if she'd want him to hold her so close.

Mimi moved her lips close to the man's ear. "It'll be okay." She whispered, before placing her head on Yamato's chest. He raised his eyebrows at the suddenness of her breath against the side of his neck. It was warm and sent shivers thundering down his spine. The man placed his chin on the top of his comforter's head and smiled. At the most uncertain time in his life, he was happy.

X

Hey guys, sorry for the incredibly short chapter and lack of updating, but I've been so busy with school! The next chapter will be better, I promise, but until then, I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading guys!

*surflilu.


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